NRL to consider 'bad-boy' bond

Aaron Lawton

League "bad boys" face having to agree to good-behaviour bonds of up to $250,000 if they want to stay in the NRL.

The game's bosses, including NRL Integrity Unit head Jim Doyle, are sick of scandals involving a few wayward players tarnishing the image of the sport.

Over the years the NRL has been rocked by headline-grabbing cases of first-graders being accused of off-field offences including alcohol abuse and physical and sexual assaults.

Last Monday, former Warriors prop Russell Packer was jailed for two years for assaulting a 22-year-old Aucklander, Enoka Lester Time, in the Sydney CBD in November. Packer is appealing the sentence.

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Doyle refused to register Packer's four-year contract with the Newcastle Knights in December after reviewing the case. That signalled a hard-line stance from the NRL against players who are deemed to have damaged league's image.

Doyle, speaking exclusively with Fairfax Media, revealed the NRL may go even further.

In the past, players have been sacked by clubs for off-field incidents and contract breaches, only to then be signed by rival clubs. Doyle acknowledges one mistake shouldn't end a player's NRL career.

But under a new proposal, he wants to see repeat offenders put up a good-behaviour bond – potentially up to $250,000 – that would be forfeited for a repeat offence.

"The players themselves . . . are the ones who choose their actions," Doyle said.

"If they go out and beat someone up or they get drunk and do something they shouldn't be doing, well, that is them who has chosen that action. That's not us. We aren't stopping them from having a career – they themselves are.

"But at the same time, people make mistakes. Hopefully, people learn from their mistakes.

"So, if you've got a player who has done something they shouldn't have done and got himself in trouble, first and foremost what we want to do is use our player welfare and education department and put them through some sort of program. And if they come out of the program and everything is fine, we'd certainly consider re-registering them.

"But as part of that re-registration, we might say that given they've tarnished the brand of rugby league in the past, yes it's great you are rehabilitated and we are going to give you a second chance.

"But of course we can't afford to have them tarnish the brand again, so we might ask for them to put up a significant amount of money as a bond that may sit there for the next year or two.

"And if they again go back off the rails and get into trouble again, there will be a significant penalty to pay. That's an idea rather than having them just say sorry again for the second time."

Doyle, also the NRL's chief operating officer, says bad behaviour by players can have an adverse effect on club finances.

"It's only ever the minority and if it's, say, 3 or 4 per cent [of first-graders who misbehave], we would like to get it down to 1 per cent or half a per cent," Doyle said.

"If you look at the 16 NRL clubs, and I've talked to all the CEOs and the chairmen . . . their biggest challenge is continuously being financially stable. So what I keep saying to them is that what will bring them more corporate sponsors and more membership and things like that is their own individual club brand.

"And if the brand of your club is bad and negative because you've got a few idiots that play for your team and you're not willing to penalise them in any way, that has a reflection on your own brand and therefore certain corporates aren't going to want to get involved with your organisation.

"It would be better for us all to eliminate that from the game so that we can bring more families to matches, bring more corporate sponsors to rugby league and get more membership. That would make the whole thing better and that right there is a big part of what I do."

17 comments so far

If Packer ever plays NRL again, it will be a sad indictment on the game I love.

Commenter

Joe the expat

Location

The Hague

Date and time

January 12, 2014, 12:12AM

It's about time now that the NRL took action against the hooligans and mugs that are amongst the clubs.think back about the behaviour of so many so called stars.....drunkedness,DUI offences,bashings,assaults against partners,cyber bullying,drug use.

The community is sick to death of louts that break the law.Congratulations to David Smith for finally taking strong action,

Commenter

Big Jack

Location

cloud nine

Date and time

January 12, 2014, 3:58AM

What a joke! Money speaks many languages right! What an appalling situation when sports clubs can buy their players out of trouble/ jail! In light of this mornings news of the young man who has died from a result of random attack in kings cross. Does this mean it's more acceptable when the attack is perpetrated by a *Sports Star* ? I remember years ago when a Melbourne based football player ran is car up the back of a semi whilst drunk, he was elevated to the status of sainthood by the fans, and not the drunken drink driver that he was! Enough! I say, Too many of these up and coming *Sports Stars* end up with too much money and too much time on their hands, saying they have drink problems and/or relationship problems shouldn't necessarily mitigate the fact that they have broken the law and their professional* or social status allows their clubs to buy them out of trouble! I praise the Judge who took the stand to deal out a proper and sociable sentence hopefully this may this may make these people think more than twice before taking to the streets to vent their unacceptable behaviour.........for goodness sack see a shrink or have anger management counselling. Has for the PM and all the other pollies who have families/children imagine if it were your family grieving and planning a funeral this week end?!! For God's sake do something!

Commenter

stnc

Location

st peters

Date and time

January 12, 2014, 4:16AM

Nice rant which seems to totally miss the point of the article. Did you get past the headline and photo of Packer?

Nowhere does the article suggest the NRL will allow players to buy their way out of trouble. And it does not suggest the proposed bond scheme will circumvent the law.

Commenter

Growler

Date and time

January 12, 2014, 9:19AM

I skimmed. Did he ask "what about the children?"

As a Raiders supporter, I think this good behaviour bond should have brought in ages ago, certainly long before Dugan had to be punted only to find a room full of suitors looking to sign him.

Commenter

YS

Date and time

January 12, 2014, 12:48PM

Great idea but make it a million.

Commenter

RTP.

Location

Sawtell

Date and time

January 12, 2014, 5:42AM

I agree

Commenter

Stevo

Location

Starthpine Qld

Date and time

January 12, 2014, 1:41PM

These idiot players who ruin it for all the grown up players need to be taught that they aren't special. they aren't above the law. We need to stop treating these losers like celebrities.

Commenter

Noodlebat

Date and time

January 12, 2014, 10:10AM

The idea of a good behaviour bond has merits, but we still end up with a subjective decision making process. If a player has had to post a bond, and then commits an offence to the NRL that is not criminal, how does a lawful society have someone forfeit that bond. We have made this issue more complicated than it needs to be, in Russell Pakcer's case, he goes to jail, stays there for a couple of years and then if he can still play when he gets out, someone might give him a contract.The education of players is working reasonably well, and this is just a case of realising that we cannot prevent everything, at all times. Footballers players need the level of hubris they have to succeed, and not everybody is smart, so the stupid ones will get do the wrong thing of get caught doing the wrong thing. This does not reflect poorly on the NRL or any other sporting association, or at least it shouldn't. If they address the problems as best they can, and create cultures of openness and transparency, we can then look at the real causes of these issues, which are predominantly societal, and the unfortunate over reporting and massive rush to judgements that the media seem to think is their role these days.One last point, Josh Duggan did not go to jail for anything he did, so he was sacked for behaviours rather than crimes. This is a far greater danger to a free society (your employer being allowed to moderate/control your private life) than a couple of drunken kids taking selfies on the roof.

Commenter

Ed J

Location

Petrie

Date and time

January 12, 2014, 1:47PM

Dead easy mate the NRL makes it a condition of playing. Please get real, any organisation that has rules must be able to enforce the rules or there is no point having rules. What part of that don't you understand? Not enforcing the rules of society is why these mongrels have been able to get away with this rubbish for years. Clubs have been complicit in getting them off the hook for too long so they offend over and over again or feel that they are immune from the rules that apply to the rest of us in society. Enough is enough.